Camaraderie
by Percie Jean
Summary: (Modern AU) They'd been doing this every year for the past five years, partially because Davey was a creature of habit and Tadashi would never pass up a chance to eat New York-style pizza...but mostly because they'd been friends ever since science camp, and because sometimes being an older brother really was a pain.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: This is a non-commercial work of fanfiction. Anything recognizable from _Newsies_ or _Big Hero 6_ belongs to Disney and not to me.

**A/N**: This randomess came from the strange combination of writing _Newsies_ fanfiction and watching _Big Hero 6 _during MLB playoff season (I know, I know...don't ask). Crossover universe, but also modern AU ("Dyin' To Get There" compliant, which means snarky!Davey and a handful of references and out-of-context lines from both sources), with the one anachronistic nod being the reference to the New York Giants (the baseball team of 1899). Hope that wasn't too confusing. On to our story!

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**CHAPTER 1**

They decided to meet at a sports bar because Tadashi's Ninjas were playing in Game 1 of the World Series against the New York Giants, and although Davey was only a casual follower of baseball himself, he actually didn't mind having it on in the background during a conversation.

True to form, Tadashi was running late.

Davey checked his phone for an explanatory text, but upon finding none, he decided to go inside the restaurant to wait in order to escape the afternoon heat and maybe catch some of the pre-game show. He didn't frequent The Rocket Fist very often, but it was one of the nicer sports bars in the area, and their pizza was consistently good. Opening the door to the establishment, Davey was immediately greeted by the sound of several sportscasters analyzing the game from TVs big and small, and he saw that the entire place had been decked out in the colors of the home team.

If Tadashi came in wearing his Ninjas gear, which he undoubtedly would, he was going to stick out like a sore thumb.

"Party of two," Davey said to the hostess, deciding that he might as well sit down.

"Dining room or bar?" she asked, picking up a pair of menus.

"Dining room, please." Davey glanced around. There were TVs all over the place, so where they sat wouldn't really matter, and he preferred the relative separation of the dining area to the communal setup of the bar, which was already looking a little crowded.

As the hostess led the way towards the back of the restaurant, Davey saw that several of the employees were dressed up in Giants jerseys and baseball caps. The thrill of anticipation was in the air, and even though it was still several minutes before game time, the dining room was already packed with fans engaged in spirited discussion while indulging in hot wings, pizza, and towers of onion rings.

Hopefully it wouldn't be too noisy for conversation.

Being given a small booth off to the side of the room was a small grace, and Davey looked around to see which side of the table had the better view before sitting at the opposite end. He ordered a Coca-Cola, texted Tadashi to let him know where he was, then idly began to peruse the menu.

No sooner had he decided on what he was going to eat, when the sound of familiar footsteps reached his ears. "Sorry!" Tadashi exclaimed, arriving in a hurry and quickly sliding into the empty booth. "Didn't mean to keep you waiting."

"I haven't been here long," Davey answered. He gave his friend a tiny smile, noting that he was indeed wearing his San Fransokyo Ninjas cap (though he had it on backwards, so the logo was a little less obvious). "What happened this time?" Davey asked. "Cat stuck up in a tree? Senior citizen needing help crossing the street?"

Tadashi gave him a hurt look. "None of those things," he answered. "I was on the phone with Aunt Cass and lost track of time."

"Everything okay?" Davey asked, handing over the drink menu. "Here are their specials, by the way."

"Yeah, everything's fine - mostly," Tadashi answered. "I'll fill you in in a bit." His eyes scanned through the list of beverage offerings. "This looks intriguing," he said, pointing to a bluish-green drink. "Have you ever tried the 'Gravity Crush'? It's a 'refreshing blend of wild berry and melon, with a hint of ginseng.'"

Davey shook his head, not even bothering to look closely at the photo. He was a bit of a skeptic by nature, and the fluorescent color and odd combination of flavors in the Gravity Crush slightly repulsed him. There was no way that much food coloring could be healthy to ingest. "I'll stick with Coke, thanks."

Tadashi shook his head. "Don't you ever try anything new?"

"You know I'm not adventurous, Tadashi. In life or in beverage choices."

"That's true. But I'm not giving up on you," Tadashi insisted, smiling. "I'll get you to try one of these things some day."

"Good luck with that."

The waitress appeared with Davey's Coca-Cola. "Can I get you anything to drink?" she asked Tadashi.

"I'll try the Gravity Crush," he replied, handing her the beverage menu.

She nodded approvingly. "That's one of our most popular selections. I'll be back with it in a moment."

"See, Davey?" Tadashi grinned as she walked away. "It's _popular_."

"There are lots of things that are popular but aren't good for you," Davey retorted.

His friend shrugged. "It's just a drink. Sometimes you've got to live a little."

A loud cheer erupted at the bar, and Tadashi glanced up at the largest television on the wall. "Game time!" he exclaimed, his voice eager with anticipation.

Davey peered at the smaller screen on the wall opposite where he was sitting. "When was the last time the Ninjas went to the World Series?" he asked.

"It was the year Hiro was born, so it's been a while. They're definitely the underdogs in this match-up; New York's got a good pitching rotation, even if their bullpen's been spotty in the postseason...but hopefully the bats will get the job done for us, and we can at least split the first two games before the series heads to San Fransokyo. We've got a better record at home."

The waitress returned with Tadashi's drink (which looked even more phosphorescent in person), and Davey eyed it warily as he sipped his Coke. There was _definitely_ no way that much food coloring could be healthy.

"Are you ready to order, gentlemen?" the waitress asked politely.

"I'm ready if you are," Tadashi said to Davey, who nodded, not at all surprised that Tadashi already knew what he wanted even after hardly glancing at the menu. There was generally only one thing the San Fransokyo boy ordered whenever he came to New York.

"I'll have the pastrami on rye," Davey said, handing over his menu. "Coleslaw instead of fries, please." The waitress nodded, receiving the menu and jotting down the request, then turned to take Tadashi's order.

As usual, he ordered enough to feed a family of five. "Hot wings," he declared, raising his index finger in the air, "extra-spicy, so that I can give Aunt Cass my unbiased comparison, and pizza," he pointed to one of the selections on the menu, "because when you're in New York, you just _have_ to." He grinned at Davey as the waitress thanked them and walked away to put in their order. "You're going to help me eat it all, right?"

Davey shook his head. "Thanks, but I'll be fine with my sandwich. You should take the leftovers back to your hotel so you don't have to worry about dinner tonight. Do you have a fridge in your room?"

"Yeah. It's a nice hotel - one of the fancier ones we've stayed at for the convention," Tadashi answered. "It seems like this conference is just getting more and more popular each year, and our accommodations keep getting nicer and nicer along with it. I actually ran into a couple of people from our science camp days at breakfast this morning. It was fun to catch up and to see that they're still in the field."

The Manhattan Robotics Convention was a prestigious gathering that met every year in New York. Top students from schools all over the country were invited to attend the week-long event featuring notable speakers, workshops, and showcases displaying the latest tech, and Tadashi had been going from the very first year he'd been eligible to attend. Davey's pursuits in the field of science had taken him in a different direction, but he still found it interesting to hear about the ideas that were inevitably sparked from rubbing shoulders with some of the industry's finest.

They chatted for several moments about the keynote speaker at the convention and some of the interesting workshops that were being offered, and for a while, it was like they were just two kids at science camp again, geeking out about things that most of their friends and family at home just couldn't understand or fully appreciate. Tadashi was the kind to physically enthuse, while Davey was more inclined to ramble when he got excited, but they understood each other, and Davey knew to prepare himself for wild gesturing and the occasional jumping and whooping whenever Tadashi really got going, while Tadashi knew not to interrupt Davey's train of thought when he started pondering a certain subject out loud, even if that lead to some rather circuitous tangents (it all was connected somehow, Davey insisted, and Tadashi always nodded, because he understood).

Their friendship, however, went deeper than just a shared affinity for science. They'd actually become fast friends at their first year of science camp, when Davey had inadvertently stumbled upon a crying Tadashi who had been hiding out back behind their cabin. Being only ten years old and not particularly good at the business of comforting a distressed peer (but instinctively knowing that it would be a bad idea to just turn and walk away), Davey had awkwardly offered Tadashi a tissue and a granola bar from his backpack, then after a moment had hesitantly settled himself at the other end of the bench where his cabin mate was sitting, close enough (he'd hoped) to show that he cared, but not so close as to be intrusive.

After a few moments, Tadashi had composed himself and had taken a bite of the granola bar, prompting Davey to timidly inquire if the other boy was all right. To his surprise, Tadashi had disclosed that he was actually very sad, because that day was the third year anniversary of his parents' death, and he missed his family terribly. The confession had been accompanied by a fresh round of tears, and Davey could still remember how useless he'd felt, sitting there on the bench with nothing to say and no further snacks to offer. But he'd slid over to sit next to his cabin mate and had stayed there, offering clean tissues at intervals, and trying to be as comforting as he could, even though he really had no clue what he was doing.

Once Tadashi's grief seemed to have run its course, he'd sniffled his thanks and then had lapsed into a pensive silence. They'd sat there for perhaps another half hour or more, not saying anything, until the sound of the dinner bell ringing had brought an end to the quietness of the moment and had necessitated a return to camp routine and society.

By unspoken agreement, they'd sat together at the evening meal that night, and from that point on, they were nearly inseparable. Finding out that they were both older brothers had only solidified their friendship, and even after science camp had ended, they'd kept in touch from opposite ends of the country, reuniting at camp for the next three years, then meeting up in New York after that whenever Tadashi was in town for his robotics conference. It wasn't the most conventional way of doing things, but it worked for them.

"Looks like the ump forgot to wear his glasses tonight," Tadashi lamented, breaking into Davey's thoughts and shaking his head at a call that hadn't gone the Ninjas' way. "He might end up being a problem."

"It's a relief to see that your trash-talking's as biting as ever," Davey remarked, unable to keep the good-natured sarcasm out of his voice. It was probably for the best, however, he reflected. The sports bar was now packed with Giants fans, and if Tadashi had been a louder or more obnoxious supporter of the visiting team, they probably could have been in for a bit of trouble.

The San Fransokyo boy didn't respond to Davey's mild jab, momentarily engrossed in the action unfolding on the television, and Davey idly began re-arranging the sugar packets in the condiment caddy on their table, glancing up at the game every now and then as he worked.

The inning ended abruptly with a double-play, and the restaurant quickly became more lively as everyone took advantage of the commercial break to stretch, order another round of drinks, or discuss the top half of the inning and the Giants' strong defensive start.

Davey had finished sorting the sugar packets by color and had turned all of the utensils right-side up by this time, and Tadashi chuckled upon catching sight of his antics. "You'd get along well with Wasabi," he remarked. "He's one of the guys in the lab at SFIT. Even more fastidious than you, if you can imagine."

"I can't." Davey pushed the caddy back into its place.

"I still remember you being the only one at camp who hung up his shirts in the closet," Tadashi reminisced. "You had everything organized all nicely, while the rest of us were just lucky enough to have clean clothes on!" He laughed. "Fred only brought three pairs of underwear for the whole two weeks!"

"I remember that," Davey cringed. "It was disgusting."

"You mean it was both disgusting _and_ awesome," Tadashi corrected.

Davey took a sip of his Coke in response.

"Those were the good old days," Tadashi shook his head. "I miss them." He grinned. "But hey, at least we've kept in touch. It's been what, four years in a row now that we've done this?"

"Five," Davey answered. "Ever since we aged out of science camp. It helps that your conventions are held in Manhattan. I'm not much of a traveler, though Jack - my roommate - is always going on and on about how nice it is out west."

"It _is_ nice," Tadashi agreed. "But you can't get New York-style pizza there. Speaking of which…"

The pizza and the huge platter of hot wings had arrived, along with Davey's comparatively tiny-looking sandwich.

"One pepperoni pizza, one large platter of wings, extra-spicy, and a pastrami on rye," the waitress recited, as the server set the plates down on the table. "Is there anything else I can get for you?"

"No thanks," Tadashi responded, as Davey shook his head.

"Well then, enjoy," the waitress smiled, setting down a few extra napkins before taking her leave.

"Have some of this," Tadashi said eagerly, scooping a large piece of pizza onto Davey's plate and then shoveling a small mountain of wings beside it before tossing a handful of carrot and celery sticks over everything. "You gotta enjoy it while it's hot."

He served himself and began to dig into his own food, before stopping suddenly and slapping his hand to his forehead. "Oh, shoot!" he exclaimed apologetically. "I should have asked. Do you not eat spicy food?"

"I eat it," Davey answered, examining his plate wryly.

"You look a little concerned."

"Just trying to figure out where my sandwich went."

Tadashi crunched on a carrot stick. "Eat your way down to it," he suggested.

"I'm going to have to." Davey reluctantly moved the vegetables aside and bit into the pizza. He was probably a little spoiled - living in New York, he could have it any time - but he had to admit that The Rocket Fist's crust was pretty good, and that the pepperoni had been a solid choice.

"So, how's Millburn treating you?" Tadashi asked, polishing off a chicken wing.

"Not bad." Davey another took a sip of his Coke. "Jack's an art major, so he's got kind of a strange schedule - he likes to get up really early in the morning to watch the sunrise and paint, but he's also up at all hours of the night, so it can be a little disruptive sometimes. He seems like a good guy, though; I can't complain. People have been nice, the food on campus is decent, and my classes have been interesting so far...though they're probably not as cutting-edge as what you're learning at SFIT."

"That's what you get for going to a liberal arts school," Tadashi joked. "I told you to apply to SFIT. We could have been classmates."

"I'm not _that_ much of a science person," Davey argued. "The other disciplines interest me, too. I'm still planning to major in Biochem, though, and I hope to get into a grad school program on scholarship once I'm done."

"Gotta keep your grades up, then," Tadashi remarked.

Davey nodded. Millburn College had a reputation for being academically rigorous, and he'd found the first semester there to be challenging, but not impossible to keep up with.

"School's actually been the least of my worries," he confided, his voice almost instantly becoming more troubled.

Tadashi gave him a sympathetic look. "Is Les causing trouble again?"

Davey smiled grimly. "How did you know?"

"Hiro's got a lot going on right now, too," Tadashi replied. "But I'll fill you in later; you go first."

Davey sighed. "Les has just been struggling a lot in school lately. All of his teachers insist that he has natural aptitude, but he just can't seem to apply himself. All he wants to do is tag along with the older boys and chase after girls. He's been "dating" this one girl - Sally - and I think she's been a bad influence on him. She isn't at all academically inclined, from what Les tells me, and they've got this on-again-off-again relationship going where half the time they're always around each other, and the other half of the time they're not even speaking...I don't know...it doesn't make a lot of sense to me."

"Hmm," Tadashi took a sip of his drink. "Do you think he's acting out because he misses you now that you're away at college?"

"I doubt it," Davey answered. "Les has always been pretty independent. He doesn't really like me giving him advice or meddling in his business, so if anything, he's probably glad to have a little more freedom without me."

"I guess being chronically unappreciated comes with the big brother territory," Tadashi mused. He took another bite of pizza, chewing thoughtfully for a moment before asking, "What do your parents think about the whole situation?"

"They just want Les to keep his grades up," Davey answered. "They don't really see the harm in his little fling with Sally, but I think that it's correlated. If he was hanging around people who were more focused on their studies, I know it would rub off on him - he's pretty impressionable."

"Sounds like you might be onto something," Tadashi said encouragingly.

"Maybe."

"Can you introduce him to any of your college friends? People he might look up to because they're older? I know it's not the same thing as getting him a new friend group that's made up of kids his own age, but that might be beyond your control at this point."

"That's...an interesting idea," Davey said slowly. "He _is_ going to be coming up with my parents in a few weeks to visit, so I guess I could introduce him to some of my friends then. He'd probably really like Jack. I'm not sure that Jack would be a good example to Les in the dating department, but he's talented and popular, and academically-speaking, he's pretty on top of things - everyone at Millburn is. You can't survive otherwise."

"Well, there you go!" Tadashi declared. "Shake things up a bit for Les - give him a new angle. If he can see himself doing what Jack's doing in a few years, then maybe he'll be more motivated to focus on school now. You can remind him that it's impossible to get into a place like Millburn without good grades. And if he applies himself more to his schoolwork, he won't have as much time to go running around with Sally - maybe he'll even get bored of the drama and decide he'd rather not deal with it."

"You're a genius," Davey replied, thinking to himself that the idea actually had a chance of working. It wasn't foolproof, of course - Les most definitely had a mind of his own - but it was a much better approach than attempting to lecture his little brother about his poor choices. "I'll give it a try - _something _has to be done before things get worse. Worrying about Les has kept me up more at night than all of my first-round exams and projects put together." He shook his head. "I've tried everything - talking to him, incentivizing his studies, offering to find him a study partner or a tutor, but none of it has made an impact yet. I sure hope this plan works."

Tadashi nodded. "And if it doesn't, it's all right to cry. Or to pound your head against a desk if that sounds better. Hiro does it all the time, and it seems to help him."

"Hah," Davey answered, not wanting to admit that he'd actually been pretty close to succumbing to the latter option on several occasions when Les had made some particularly frustrating choices. "I'll keep that in mind." He finished eating his last bite of pizza and started in on the hot wings, thinking ironically that by the time he managed to unearth his sandwich, he wasn't going to be hungry enough to eat it anymore.

"Speaking of Hiro," he said, "you mentioned that he's got a lot going on right now. Is he still on his bot fighting kick?"

"Yes," Tadashi said, with the kind of long-suffering terseness that Davey heard often enough in his own voice. "He's completely obsessed with it, and now that he's graduated from high school and has nothing to do, he can tinker with his bots all day and bot fight all night with no one stopping him. Aunt Cass doesn't know half of what he's up to - I was actually talking to her on the phone about Hiro before I came here - and I can't keep an eye on him while I'm in class or at the lab, so he's pretty much running loose all around San Fransokyo. I sewed a mini GPS system into his favorite hoodie, so that's helped me keep tabs on him a little, but that doesn't really solve the problem. He's a huge sneak."

It was Davey's turn to look sympathetic. He'd only interacted briefly with Hiro when the younger Hamada brother had come to pick up Tadashi once at science camp, but even that small sample size was enough to make it clear that Hiro was a handful - even more of handful because he was so smart. Les was clever and occasionally defiant, but he wasn't all that covert about his doings or secretive about his personal life, so keeping track of him wasn't too difficult. Getting him to make good choices was a different story, of course, but at least Davey and his parents were well aware of what was going on with the youngest member of their family.

"It's just so frustrating, seeing Hiro pour all of his energy and talent into something that's going to be a dead end!" Tadashi exclaimed. "All that wasted potential, you know? It's basically the same problem you're having with Les, except it's bot fighting and not girls causing the distraction."

"It does seem similar," Davey agreed. He bit into a celery stick. The wings had been spicy - much spicer than he was used to - and his tastebuds were so numb that he figured he might as well chew on something bland. He wasn't going to be able to even taste the pastrami in his sandwich at this point.

"After seeing some of the tech at the convention, I've been playing around with the idea of starting a new project once I'm back at SFIT," Tadashi said, serving himself another slice of pizza. "It's kind of an out-there idea, but maybe it would pique Hiro's interest and get him to consider that there's more to 'nerd school' than sitting in lecture halls, listening to people tell you things you already know."

"What's your idea?" Davey asked curiously. He knew that Tadashi was methodical and orderly in his experimentation, but that he also had a whimsical side which sometimes came up with the most unusual ideas. If he hadn't possessed such a tenacious disposition, this trait would no doubt have yielded a plethora of half-baked ideas and failed experiments, but Tadashi was patient (and stubborn), and once he got over his initial waffling and committed to an idea, he was almost always able to see it through to completion with satisfying results.

It was getting over that initial stage that always proved to be the biggest obstacle.

"Well, like I said, it's kind of out there," Tadashi began, prefacing his disclosure with a characteristic disclaimer, "but I was thinking about building an inflatable robotic nurse."

It wasn't the answer that Davey had been expecting.

"Sounds interesting," he replied, bringing years of practice of listening to his friend's early-stage ideas to bear. He knew that he had to strike just the right tone - intrigued, but not overly-enthusiastic - if he wanted Tadashi to keep elaborating. Taking another sip of Coke, Davey began casually asking questions, making an occasional remark here and there, but mostly listening. He knew that there was no way this was a brand-new idea - the thought had likely been percolating in Tadashi's head for a while, and the convention had probably excited him _just_ enough to be willing to start talking to someone else about it...which meant that he was only a step or two away from committing to the project (or else scrapping the idea altogether).

So Davey continued to listen, and eventually Tadashi (surprisingly focused on the conversation despite the fact that Ninjas were up to bat again) had talked all of his ideas out, concluding several minutes later, "Anyway, that's the gist of it." He shrugged. "I've been thinking about trying to run the concept past some of the robotics experts at the convention, but I'm not sure if I should try to develop the idea more before I do that. I don't want to waste their time."

"They're here to encourage you in your inventing, aren't they?" Davey pointed out. "I'm sure they won't mind if your idea isn't fully formed yet."

"True…" Tadashi hesitated. "It's just kind of intimidating. I mean, these are top-notch inventors and researchers in the field. They're shaping the future with their tech. I'd like to be able to have something more to show them than a few sketches I've thrown together in my notebook."

"You should take advantage of having access to their expertise," Davey insisted, wanting to push his friend a little. "If you wait until you're completely ready, you'll have to hold on to your idea for another whole year. You might as well run the concept by them now - weren't you the one just telling me to live a little?"

"Yeah."

"So, apply your own advice," Davey suggested. "Why not take a risk? _Carpe diem_, and all that."

Tadashi grinned. "I'm not gonna lie, that phrase sounds a little odd coming from someone who won't even bother trying a soda that isn't Coke."

"Beverages are different," Davey asserted, "and that doesn't negate my point. You can't always wait around for things to fall into place. Sometimes you just have to take the first step and trust that the rest will follow. Theoretically, there could always be a more ideal situation, but in this case, _now_ is the time." He gave his friend an encouraging half-smile. "You have the opportunity in front of you - you should go for it."

Tadashi drained the last of his Gravity Crush. "You know, you may be right," he said, setting the cup down and sounding decidedly more confident. "I definitely don't want to have to wait another year to move on this, especially since I'm hoping it could help Hiro, too. I'll take another look at my sketches tonight and see if I can maybe augment them a little, then I'll pitch the idea tomorrow at one of the open forum breakout sessions."

He gave Davey a grateful smile. "Thanks. You've gotten good at these pep talks, haven't you?"

Davey shrugged. "I seem to be giving them more and more lately. I'm not really sure why." He didn't consider himself a particularly encouraging or optimistic person, but oddly enough, he'd been finding himself in the role of de facto motivator surprisingly often these days. Tadashi's case hadn't been the only one.

"Well, hopefully someday you'll actually get to see this invention in action," the San Fransokyo boy remarked. "It takes a long time for an idea to go from conjecture to reality, so it could be a while, but maybe this will be the one that really takes off - if I can hang in there with it."

"Minute by minute," Davey advised. "One thing at a time. You'll find a way to make it work. You always do."

They'd managed to finish all of the hot wings ("Just a tad inferior to Aunt Cass,' but still delicious," had been Tadashi's verdict) and a little less than half of the enormous pizza. Davey had barely touched his sandwich.

"Could we have a couple of boxes, please?" he asked, flagging down the waitress as she passed by. She promised that she would bring the requested items shortly.

"What time's your afternoon class?" Tadashi asked, wiping his hands on a napkin.

"At 3:15," Davey answered. "I've still got a few more minutes before I need to get going."

"Better not to push it, though," Tadashi remarked. "I know how much you dislike being late."

"I'm hoping the traffic will be light right now since everyone's watching the game." Davey peered at the television. The Ninjas had a man on second with one out. Still a tied score. "Seems like it could be a close one."

The waitress set a pair of boxes down on the table as she passed by. "You didn't even eat your sandwich," Tadashi observed as he handed Davey one of the containers.

"Yeah, well...I was a little busy 'helping' you with your food," Davey responded, carefully placing his sandwich in the box. "It was good, though."

"Take some with you!" Tadashi suggested, holding out a piece. "This is way too much for me."

Davey shook his head. "No thanks - I'm fine with this."

"Come on...please?"

"Your sad face won't work on me." Davey pointedly sealed up his container. "I've had years of practice building up an immunity to that kind of thing, thanks to Les."

Tadashi reluctantly placed the rejected pizza slice in his own container. "You're heartless."

"Mostly," Davey agreed. "But you knew that already."

The waitress arrived with the check. "No rush, gentlemen, but whenever you're ready, I'll just set this here."

"I'll take it," Davey said, holding out his hand.

"No, I've got it this time," Tadashi insisted, setting down his box of leftovers to beckon for the check.

The waitress hesitated.

"I called it first," Davey said, hoping that she'd be reasonable.

"But he always pays in cash, which means you'll have to go through the trouble of bringing back change," Tadashi interjected, whipping out his credit card. He gave the waitress a charming smile. "I'll take it."

The smile seemed to work, and the girl began to hand over the check...but Davey wasn't above playing dirty.

"He's a Ninjas fan!"

The waitress' hand froze. Then her eyes narrowed, and she promptly whisked the check out of the shocked Tadashi's grasp and gave it to Davey before walking away.

Tadashi shook his head. "Un-be-lievable," he sighed.

"I think you mean _inevitable_," Davey corrected, adding up the total and the tip and placing a stack of bills on the table. "I've won the last three years in a row."

"That just means I'm overdue for a win next year," Tadashi declared, as they grabbed their leftovers and got up to leave. "And it wasn't fair of you to pay. I ordered most of the food."

"Well, I ate some of it, and you did have to finance your plane ticket out here." Davey stuck his wallet back into his pocket with a grin. "We'll call it even."

Outside the restaurant, they prepared to part ways.

"Hey, I'm glad this worked out," Tadashi said. "Thanks for coming down here on a school day - this was a great choice. We'll have to come here again the next time I'm in town." He stuck out his hand. "Good luck with Les, Davey. I hope that the visit to Millburn blows him away."

"Good luck with Hiro and your robot," Davey responded, shaking hands with his friend. "You've got a great idea, and I bet your invention's going to help a lot of people, not just your brother." The sound of a loud cheer erupted from inside the restaurant, reaching their ears through the open door. "Hope the Ninjas are able to pull off the win for you today, too," he added.

"Better not say that too loud," Tadashi advised, smiling as he began to walk away. "But I appreciate the sentiment."

"Till next year, then?" Davey asked, as he too began to set off in the opposite direction.

Tadashi gave him a little salute over his shoulder. "Next year? You bet."


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer**: This is a non-commercial work of fanfiction. Anything recognizable from _Newsies_ or _Big Hero 6_ belongs to Disney and not to me.

**A/N**: Ahhhhh it's been ten months...is anyone still here? Sorry for the long intermission between chapters. I was on the fence about whether or not to continue this (because I'm one of those people who likes to live in the "Tadashi's alive" alternate reality - better known as denial), but ultimately the plot bunnies have concluded that this story needs to be continued, so here we are. I apologize ahead of time for the angst. But I promise that there will be a redemptive if bittersweet ending to all of this, so hang in there with me, friends (or alternately, feel free to just pretend that this story ends after Chapter 1 - I won't blame you a bit). Here we go.

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**CHAPTER 2**

Tadashi never made it to their meeting the following year.

Davey would always remember exactly where he was and what he was doing when he got news of the fire. He was in the library on campus, sitting at the circulation desk and trying to keep his eyes open during the last half hour of his shift, his mostly-ignored Organic Chemistry textbook sitting in front of him and his phone plugged into an outlet under the counter as he watched the time slowly crawl towards midnight...

It had been an especially slow evening; exams had just concluded the week before, so the library had been mostly quiet, which normally would have suited Davey just fine if he hadn't been so tired. He liked covering the late shift, because it usually gave him uninterrupted time to study, but Jack had been especially nocturnal lately, staying up until all hours to finish projects for his portfolio, which meant that Davey hadn't been getting much sleep either. At this point, he almost wished there were more people needing assistance at the library; it would have made the time go by a lot faster.

Closing his OChem textbook, Davey unplugged his phone and idly began scrolling through the notifications he'd missed while he'd been trying to focus on his studies. There were a handful of social media notifications which he mostly ignored, a voicemail from Specs about the group project that was due the following week, and a text from Jack saying he was going out to eat with his friend Race to celebrate turning in the final piece of his portfolio, and that Davey shouldn't expect him back until late that night.

There was a news update, too, which Davey almost dismissed in favor of texting Jack his usual warning to be careful and to call if anything went wrong, but something made him tap on the notification instead, and seconds later a headline was staring up at him from his iPhone screen:

_Breaking news: Deadly fire erupts at San Fransokyo Institute of Technology. Exhibition Hall goes up in flames. Two reported missing. _

Davey quickly read through all of the available information (there really wasn't much) before doing a search to see if there were other news channels covering the story, but confoundingly, he found nothing of substance. He checked SFIT's social media feeds to see if the school was posting any updates, but found nothing helpful beyond what he already knew.

With a frustrated sigh, Davey glanced at the time. It was 11:45 p.m., which meant that it would only be 8:45 p.m. in San Fransokyo - still early in the evening, and definitely not too late to text. Pushing aside his hesitation, he pulled up Tadashi's contact information.

_Hey Tadashi, _he began texting. _I just heard about the fire at SFIT. I'm probably overthinking things here...but text me when you get a chance, all right? _

Reminding himself that he still needed to check in with Jack, Davey took a moment to send off a reply to his roommate, then spent the next several minutes anxiously alternating between refreshing his newsfeed and checking to see if Tadashi had texted him back yet.

The clock continued to crawl towards midnight…

_Maybe I ought to see if Fred's still using his old number,_ Davey thought to himself. He hadn't really kept in contact with his former cabinmate from science camp even though they'd exchanged numbers years ago; Tadashi was the only thing they had in common anyway. But Davey had seen Fred show up in most of Tadashi's recent Instagram pictures (even though he was pretty sure the eccentric long-haired boy wasn't _actually_ a student at SFIT), so maybe Fred could at least provide confirmation that their mutual friend was safe...

Telling himself to wait at least another half an hour, Davey stuck his phone in his pocket. There was no sense in getting worried, he told himself; Tadashi was generally hit-or-miss when it came to answering text messages promptly, and it would be awkward to contact Fred after such a long period of silence.

Sliding his textbook and his phone charger into his backpack, Davey pulled on his jacket and waited impatiently, watching the clock on the wall as the last few minutes of his shift inched by. As soon as the second hand hit midnight, he was walking out from behind the circulation desk and heading straight for the door.

The cool evening air was a welcome jolt to the system, and Davey quickly made his way across campus towards his dormitory, forcing himself not to pull out his phone until he'd arrived and had shut the door of the room he shared with Jack behind him.

He turned on the lights, set down his backpack, then shrugged off his jacket, hanging it in the closet before he raised his phone to glance at the screen…

Nothing.

He pulled up Fred's contact information and began to compose a text.

_Hey Fred, I'm not sure if you kept my number or not, or if this is even still your number, but this is David Jacobs from science camp - _

Davey stopped typing, the thought suddenly crossing his mind that Fred probably wouldn't remember him if he identified himself that way. Backtracking, he deleted the last few words and started over.

..._this is Davey-Dave from science camp_.

The handle still made him cringe a little; Fred had distinguished himself the very first day at camp by assigning nicknames to nearly all of his cabin mates (Tadashi being the one enviable exception), and since there had inconveniently happened to be _two_ Davids bunking in Kepler 4B, they had been the first to receive their alternate monikers. The other David, hailing from Hawaii, had been christened DaveOno, while Davey had been stuck with the more ridiculous-sounding Davey-Dave. Fortunately, the nickname hadn't caught on with anyone else at camp, despite the fact that Fred had persisted in using it everywhere they went, much to Davey's embarrassment.

Shaking off the memory, Davey continued typing.

_I heard about the fire at SFIT. Are you with Tadashi? I texted him a while ago, but he hasn't responded. Just wanted to check in. _

He hesitated only a moment before sending the text, then deliberately put his phone down on the nightstand by his bed. He made himself take a shower and get ready for bed, then hesitantly checked his phone again before he laid down, trying to settle in for the night.

Still nothing.

Davey sighed, rolling over on his back and staring at the ceiling overhead. He knew that he ought to try to sleep; he was tired, and his body needed the rest. He also knew that there was likely a reasonable explanation for why both Tadashi and Fred hadn't answered his text messages. It had only been an hour and a half since his initial text to Tadashi; that really wasn't much time, and maybe Fred had a different phone number by now. He knew that in all likelihood he was overthinking things, and by tomorrow morning he would be regretting how ridiculous his anxiousness had been…

...but he also knew that until he got some kind of confirmation that Tadashi was safe, he wasn't going to be able to sleep a wink.

So he got out of bed, turned on the little lamp that sat on the end table, then retrieved his OChem textbook from his backpack before sitting down at his desk, checking the news feed on his phone one more time before flipping open the book and trying to get his mind to focus on the particulars of phosphate transfer reactions.

After half an hour, he gave up. He couldn't concentrate. He was far too antsy, and the figures on the page were all beginning to look the same to him, so he decided to change his tactic, flipping closed the again-neglected science textbook and reaching instead for the poetry anthology that his general education English class was going through. The unit for the week was British Poets of the 20th century, and Davey almost smiled wryly to himself as he read the first title he'd been assigned to study.

"'Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night…'" he murmured. _He_ certainly wasn't having a good night, but that was likely due to his own insistence on worrying rather than just going to sleep like any sensible person would. In any case, he might as well see what Dylan Thomas had to say about the matter. Scooting his chair a bit closer to the desk, Davey began to read, stifling a yawn as he lost himself in the words on the page...

He was woken suddenly from sleep by the sensation of someone shaking his shoulder. "Hey, Dave…" Jack's voice came floating into Davey's slowly-increasing consciousness. "You oughta get in bed. You're gonna feel it tomorrow if you spend all night sleepin' like this."

Davey raised his head from where he'd inadvertently dozed off at his desk, rubbing his eyes and blinking blearily as he took in the slightly-concerned face of his roommate who had apparently just gotten home.

"What time's it?" he mumbled sleepily. "Can't remember falling asleep…"

"It's three-thirty," Jack said simply, still sounding a little worried. "I told'ja not to wait up for me."

Suddenly remembering why he was up in the first place, Davey reached for his phone, his mind clearing almost instantly as he looked at the screen.

Nothing...no text messages, no missed calls.

Nothing.

"You waitin' on someone?" Jack asked.

"Yeah," Davey answered, rubbing the back of his slightly-stiff neck. "A friend on the west coast."

"It's already past midnight over there," Jack pointed out. "And it's a weeknight. Chances are if they haven't called you back by now it's gonna have to wait for mornin'." He reached over and closed the poetry anthology sitting on the desk. "Bedtime, Dave," he said gently but firmly.

Davey sighed, but did as he was instructed, leaving his phone plugged into its charger on the end table and telling himself that Jack was right; if he hadn't gotten a response by now, it was highly unlikely he'd be getting one until the morning. He had a full day of class ahead of him, and he'd be dragging halfway through it if he didn't manage to get at least a few hours of shut-eye.

Davey settled into bed, trying not to worry and instead focusing on the familiar, quiet sounds of Jack moving about the room as he got ready to turn in for the night. _Answers will come soon,_ he reminded himself. _And they'll come quicker if you sleep._ It took some time, and more than several reminders that staying awake any longer would do him no good, but eventually his weariness overcame him, and he finally dozed off again, falling into an uneasy, troubled rest.

* * *

He'd forgotten to set his alarm for the next morning, and overslept.

Throwing off the covers and jumping up from bed so quickly that it _almost_ made his head spin, Davey quickly reached for his phone.

9:28 a.m. Still no text from Tadashi or Fred.

Unplugging his phone from its charger, he tucked it into his backpack, hastily grabbing his OChem textbook and lab notebook and shoving them in as well. He would be in classes from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. that day with only a half hour lunch break and the passing periods in between, so he needed to make sure he had everything in order since he wouldn't be returning to his dorm room for a while. Stowing away his laptop and zipping his backpack closed, Davey quickly scanned the room to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything.

A granola bar and a slightly-bruised apple would have to do for breakfast, he decided. There wouldn't be time to stop by the Dining Hall on his way over to the chemistry building across campus. Adding the two items to his already-full backpack, Davey began debating whether or not it was worth the risk of being tardy to make a slight detour to the coffee cart. He could go without a substantial breakfast any day, but skipping his morning coffee would have a much more detrimental effect on his ability to concentrate and his overall mood.

Weighing the pros and cons in his head as he washed up and dressed for the day, Davey finished getting ready and was about to throw on his backpack and head out the door, mentally preparing himself for a sprint (having decided that he absolutely _did_ need his coffee that morning), when he noticed a note on the tiny whiteboard that he and Jack had tacked to the back of the door.

_Morning, Dave. I'm gonna have Specs bring you coffee for your 10:00. Hope you got the call you were waiting for. _

Davey sighed in relief, smiling a little as he erased the note and replaced it with his own words of thanks. He didn't know how Jack could stay out until all hours of the night and then somehow still be operational for 8:00 a.m. classes in the morning, but somehow he managed it. And these were the times where he thoughtfully made up for all of the nights he'd kept Davey awake with his nocturnal painting and puttering.

The trip across campus was decidedly more pleasant now that sprinting wasn't necessary, but Davey nevertheless set a brisk pace, knowing that he'd need to be quick if he wanted to arrive in time to get a decent seat. He was a good enough student to be able to pay attention regardless of where he was situated in the lecture hall, but there were certain spots that he liked better than others - places where the air conditioning wasn't constantly blowing and where the angle to view the projector screen was optimal and where he wouldn't be bothered by the students who constantly whispered to each other or cracked their knuckles throughout the lecture.

As luck would have it, there was a career fair taking place on one of the main walkways through campus, and the foot traffic slowed considerably, eventually forcing Davey to cut through a couple of well-manicured flower beds and hop several hedges to bypass the bottleneck. Thanks to the delay, he ended up having to sprint after all, and made it to the lecture hall just in time for class to begin. He slid into one of the last available seats near the back wall at the end of a row, and tried to calm his ragged breathing as the professor began to speak.

"Hey," came a whispered voice. Davey turned around and saw Specs sitting behind him, holding out a tall paper cup. "From Jack."

"Thanks," Davey whispered, taking the cup and giving his friend an appreciative grin. He turned back to his desk, pulling the splash stick from the lid of the drink and immediately beginning to feel more awake as the welcome aroma of roasted coffee beans reached his nose. Davey took a couple of sips, then carefully set the cup on the floor by his feet and reached into his backpack to pull out his laptop, which he set on the small desk in front of him as he tuned in to what his professor had been saying.

"As some of you may be aware, there was a fire last night at the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology that destroyed an exhibition hall on campus and claimed the lives of two victims."

Davey immediately felt his shoulders tensing as his mind was abruptly brought back to what his slightly-stressful morning had made him temporarily forget. He quickly reached into his backpack and pulled out his phone, surreptitiously glancing at the screen.

Nothing.

His hand tightened around his phone as he continued listening.

"Several of our department faculty are graduates of SFIT, and a few of the institution's more illustrious professors have occasionally visited our campus as guest lecturers. One of them, Robert Callaghan, was here for our roundtable discussion last semester. Sadly, he was also one of those who died in the fire last night."

Murmurs of dismay were heard throughout the lecture hall as students whispered to each other before their professor soberly brought them back to order.

"I would like for us now to observe a moment of silence for Professor Callaghan and for the other victim of the SFIT fire," she said. "Let us take a moment to reflect on the fleeting nature of life and on the legacy that we want to leave behind, and let us offer our thoughts and prayers to the families of those affected by this tragedy."

The lecture hall immediately fell silent as an image was projected on the screen at the front of the classroom: two photos, side by side with captions underneath them, the first one clearly identifying Robert Callaghan, and the second one reading -

Davey's eyes widened.

_No._

His phone clattered to the floor.

_No. _

Thirteen letters, each one of them dark and final.

_No! _

Tadashi's likeness, staring at him from the screen, was suddenly blurred with tears, and Davey felt his heart pounding as a flood of shock and grief tore through him.

_No no no no - _

He had to get out of there. He _had_ to. Somewhere - anywhere - away from those thirteen letters and that larger-than-life photo that was _not supposed to be on that screen_ \- away from that stifling room and those detestable words - fire, victim, tragedy - that had _no right_ \- _**no right**_ \- to be tied to Tadashi's name, to Tadashi who was so young and so bright and so _very, very full of life_ -

"Mr. Jacobs, if you aren't going to take this seriously, please excuse yourself."

Davey blinked, suddenly realizing that he'd somehow gotten to his feet and that his phone was in his hand. The entire lecture hall was staring at him. Most of them - his professor included - were probably too far away to make out the tears in his eyes...but he was sure that those closest to him could.

"Sorry," he choked out, unable to keep his voice from shaking. "Sorry, I just - he was - "

He _hated_ the fact that he'd spoken of Tadashi in the past tense, like he was already gone, and he _hated_ the fact that he couldn't force the words out and that his entire class was watching him fall apart and he _hated_ the fact that _these were facts_ and that they weren't some kind of terrible dream that he was going to eventually wake up from.

He couldn't make himself speak, so instead he turned around and stumbled towards the door, acutely aware of everyone's eyes on him, only vaguely registering the sound of his coffee cup tumbling over in his haste to depart and barely even caring that the spilled liquid would probably soak both his backpack and the textbook inside. It didn't matter.

Once he was outside the lecture hall, he ran.

If it had been during a passing period, he wouldn't have gotten very far without coming across someone he knew, but since classes were in session, there were relatively few people walking about, and he managed to make it to the baseball field without being stopped. His feet carried him to one of the empty dugouts, and he collapsed onto the wooden bench, burying his face in his hands and sobbing quietly until his shoulders shook.

He had known it was a possibility that Tadashi could have died in that fire - he'd known it on some rational, logical level, which is why he'd checked his newsfeed incessantly and had texted Fred and had tossed and turned the night before. He'd worried about the possibility because it was in his nature to worry. But he'd never actually thought - thought that -

Davey swiped his tears away, letting out a shuddering breath as he took in the deserted baseball field in front of him.

_Baseball...Tadashi loved baseball. _

_Stop talking like that!_ he told himself. _Stop talking like he's…like he's…_

His phone lit up, and he looked down to see that Specs had texted, asking him where he'd gone and if he was okay.

Davey ignored the text. He wasn't okay. That same rational, logical part of his brain knew that eventually he _would_ be. But even that seemed wrong.

Just as he was about to put his phone away, it lit up again.

It was Fred calling.

Davey watched the screen, his thumb frozen over the green button that would answer the call, feeling numb as the phone continued to flash Fred's number across the screen.

He let it go to his voicemail. He couldn't talk to anyone right now. He didn't even know if he'd be able to speak coherently. And most of all, he didn't want to hear the words - the words that would make that photo and those thirteen letters real.

But he knew that he had to hear them eventually.

After several moments, Davey took a deep breath, then tapped on Fred's voicemail and raised the phone to his ear, feeling his eyes begin to water again as he heard the dejected voice of his former cabin mate, more low and dismal than he'd ever heard it before.

"Hey Davey-Dave. Sorry I didn't get back to you right away. Things have been a little crazy." There was a pause, and Fred sighed audibly before slowly continuing to speak. "I dunno how to break it to you, and you've probably heard the news by now, but Tadashi was in that exhibition hall when it exploded. He's gone."

* * *

**A/N**: If you're still following along with this after such a long break, and if you're not too mad at me for ruining Davey's happiness and the nicely ambiguous ending of the first chapter by deciding to make this a multi-chapter fic (*hides under blanket*), please let me know what you thought of it! I promise, it's going to get better.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer**: This is a non-commercial work of fanfiction. Anything recognizable from _Newsies_ or _Big Hero 6_ belongs to Disney and not to me.

* * *

**CHAPTER 3 **

"You sure you're gonna be okay?" Jack asked for the hundredth time as he pulled up to the curbside drop-off zone. "I wasn't lyin' when I said I'd go along to keep you company."

Davey, in the passenger seat, gave his roommate a grim smile. "I'll be fine. Thanks, though." He would have sorely liked to take Jack up on his offer, but an early morning flight out to California to make it for a afternoon memorial service followed by a same-day red-eye back to New York weren't things he was willing to subject his friend to, no matter how much it would have been comforting to have Jack come along.

"Well, text me during your layover and when you get to San Fransokyo," Jack ordered. "And text me when you leave to head back here, all right? I'll have my phone on all night."

"You're starting to sound like me," Davey remarked, his attempt at a jibe coming off a little weak.

"Yeah, well…" Jack shrugged. "Someone's gotta fill in for you 'till you're feelin' more like yourself." He gave Davey a serious look. "You _sure_ you're gonna be okay, Dave?"

"Yeah." Davey opened the door. "Thanks Jack." He managed a small smile, then quickly got out of the car before he could change his mind. Retrieving his carry-on bag from the back seat, he shut the door, then gave Jack a final wave before turning to head into the airport terminal.

_No turning back now. _

Jack had good reason to be concerned; Davey had been an emotional wreck the past week, wading through the deep and uncertain waters of grief while trying to simultaneously keep his head above water with regards to his academic and social obligations. Somehow, he had managed not to falter, pulling through on each of his assignments, showing up for every single one of his classes, and even remembering to pick up the cupcakes he'd been assigned to bring to Katherine's birthday party that week.

But each night, when the collective weight of holding everything together had finally taken its toll, he would fall apart. He would have preferred to grieve internally - he didn't like crying in front of anyone and wished that he'd turned out to be the kind who processed his anguish in a more silent, stoic (and, in his opinion, more dignified) fashion. But for whatever reason, his mind and body had determined that he needed to cry to cope, and he did plenty of it in the week following Tadashi's death, sometimes simply tearing up a little as a memory or a thought crossed his mind, other times so overcome with emotion that his shoulders shook with the effort of stifling his sobs.

And that was when Jack was there. Davey would have never expected his cocky, confident roommate to be so empathetic, but somehow Jack knew how to offer comfort without saying anything, and his steady, soothing presence had been a lifeline to Davey as he struggled to process the sudden loss of his childhood friend.

The choice to book a flight back to New York the same day as the memorial service had been an intentional one; Davey didn't want to spend the money for a hotel room just to sleep a few hours and then get another another flight, but more importantly, he didn't want to be alone in a strange room in a strange city after attending Tadashi's memorial service. He'd rather stay up all night on the return flight and then collapse once he got back in his own bed at Millburn in the room he shared with Jack, where he at least wouldn't be alone with his grief.

Jack seemed to understand this, for he'd insisted on driving Davey to the airport and picking him up for his return flight, even though the school offered free shuttle service to its students. It gave Davey a few more minutes of company, which he was grateful for, but he knew that the moment would eventually come when he'd have to face things alone.

And now that moment was here.

Stopping briefly to get his bearings once he'd stepped inside the terminal, Davey made his way over to a kiosk to check in and print his boarding pass. The next half hour passed by fairly quickly as he waited in line to go through security, then headed to the gate where his flight would be departing. He made good time, and had nearly an hour to kill before boarding would begin (and he was flying economy anyway, so he'd be in the last group called aboard).

Needing a distraction, he bought himself a ridiculously overpriced cup of coffee, then sat down at one of the small tables in the cafe's eating area and opened his carry-on. He'd attempted to pack light (knowing that he'd have to keep the bag with him throughout the entirety of his trip), but he also had a short one hour layover in Denver ahead of him as well as the rest of the flight to occupy himself, so in the end he'd resorted to scanning several chapters from his textbooks and downloading them onto his laptop so that he could get some reading done while he was en route. He would be missing a full day of classes for this trip, and while most of his professors had willingly excused his absence once he'd explained the reason for it and had promised to turn in his work before he left, his calculous instructor had upheld the college policy that limited bereavement leave strictly to members of the student's immediate family. Unfortunately, this also happened to be a class that gave quizzes at every session, quizzes that amounted to twenty percent of the overall grade and could not be made up, which meant that Davey would need to make sure he scored well on the upcoming exam for that course to make up for the deficit. He was on multiple merit-based scholarships, and couldn't afford to let his grades slip.

Taking a sip of his coffee, Davey opened up his laptop and quickly became absorbed in his reading, finding himself surprisingly focused, more focused than he'd felt in days. He barely registered the next half hour passing by, and before he knew it, it was time to head back to the gate for boarding.

Draining the last of his coffee, Davey discarded his cup, then packed up his belongings. The airline personnel were already calling for the first class passengers to board when he arrived, so he remained standing, wanting to stretch his legs for as long as he could. Eventually, the economy class group was called aboard, and he joined the slow trickle of passengers waiting to board the airplane. He hadn't had many options for seat choices since he'd booked his flight so close to the day it was scheduled to leave, so he'd been stuck with a seat near the back of the plane, though at least he was able to get a window. He hoped that the other two passengers in his row would be agreeable.

The flight to Denver, it turned out, passed by easily enough; a father and daughter ended up sitting next to him, and the latter spent almost the entirety of the four hour flight reading the book she'd brought along, much to Davey's amazement. He probably would have been the same way at that age, but it seemed like it wasn't common for kids to have that kind of focus for such long stretches of time anymore - or maybe he was just too used to Les and his short attention span.

At any rate, he was able to get a good amount of studying done, and by the time they arrived in Denver, he was ready to take a mental break and grab a bite to eat before it would be time to get on his connecting flight. There weren't many food options close to his departure gate, but one of the sandwich shops sold a Santa Fe salad, and Davey ordered it on a whim, because it reminded him of Jack.

Remembering that he'd promised to check in with his roommate during the layover, Davey sat down at the lunch counter, then pulled out his phone. It was only 11:20 a.m. back home, and Jack would be in the middle of his ceramics class, but he'd probably found a way to keep his phone nearby and would be waiting for Davey's text.

_Hey Jack, _Davey began. _Made it safely to Denver. Got a lot of studying done on the flight. Eating a quick lunch now before heading back to the gate. Hope the clay is cooperating with you today. _

Sending the text, Davey set his phone down and picked up his fork. He was about to dig into his salad, when his phone began to vibrate, alerting him to an incoming call. To his surprise, it was Jack.

"What are you doing?!" Davey exclaimed as he picked up, reflexively lowering his voice to an almost-whisper. "Aren't you in the middle of class right now?"

He heard Jack's distinctive chuckle on the other end of the line. "Yeah, I'm s'posed to be, but I ducked out for just a second. Wanted to see how you're holdin' up."

"Not too badly," Davey answered. "All of the reading was a good distraction."

"Good. You gonna be all right for your connecting flight?"

"Yeah, I think I'll have just enough time to finish eating before heading to the gate. Assuming nothing gets delayed, I'll be in San Fransokyo by three o'clock your time."

"I'll be in Lit and Comp, but text me anyway," Jack ordered, "just so I know you made it."

"Okay, will do. Thanks, Jack." Davey glanced quickly at the clock on the wall of the deli. "I'd better let you go now, but I'll make sure to check in soon."

"All right. Talk to you later, Dave."

Jack hung up, and Davey took a bite of his salad. It was mostly iceberg lettuce with a paltry amount of chicken sitting on top and a handful of cheese and roasted corn thrown in, hardly what would qualify as a respectable salad under any other circumstances, but he'd paid a whole twelve dollars for it, and he wasn't about to waste it.

As he ate, he reviewed his itinerary for the rest of the day - he'd never been to San Fransokyo before, and didn't want to get lost in the unfamiliar city. Tadashi's memorial service was going to be held on campus at SFIT, so there was the additional challenge of finding the specific venue, too. Fred had texted some slightly-confusing directions to the auditorium, but Davey didn't feel entirely comfortable relying on them as his sole source of information, so he pored over a campus map as he sat eating his salad, trying to familiarize himself with landmarks so that he'd having something to go off of when he arrived.

Before long, it was time for him to board his connecting flight. The second leg of the trip to San Fransokyo started off as uneventfully as the first, but as they got closer to their destination, it became clear that they were in for some choppy weather. Eventually, "fasten seatbelts" light lit up, and Davey and the rest of his fellow passengers spent the next hour bracing themselves as the plane plowed through the storm that was brewing over San Fransokyo.

Their arrival was delayed due to the rain, and the turbulence had made Davey just a bit queasy, but he hurriedly texted Jack to let him know he'd made it, then gathered his belongings and promptly exited the plane, knowing that he'd need to keep on schedule to make it to the memorial service on time. He made a quick stop at the bathroom to change his clothes and put on a coat, then found his way out of the airport, hailing a taxi that would take him to the campus of SFIT.

He arrived just in time, and joined the stream of somber-looking people hurrying towards the auditorium, most of them hunched under their umbrellas, shielding themselves from the wind and the rain. The large meeting hall was nearly full to capacity, rows and rows of seats filled with Tadashi's family, friends, classmates, and professors. Davey managed to find a seat at the end of row. Before he could manage to locate Fred or Tadashi's family in the crowd, the service began, and a hush fell over the auditorium.

It was a surreal experience sitting through the memorial service. Every person who got up to speak brought a little bit of Tadashi to life again in their fond recollections and their words of praise for his kindness, his ingenuity, and his care for others. It was indubitably clear that, even in his short life, Tadashi had touched many people. But hearing their stories was devastatingly poignant when juxtaposed next to the awful reality that the young man they spoke of with such affection was never coming back.

The hardest part for Davey was watching the slide show. He'd only known a part of Tadashi's life - the science camp, robotics student, older brother part - but as he watched photo after photo flash across the screen at the front of the auditorium, he realized that there was so much more to his friend that he'd never gotten to experience. There was a picture of a young Tadashi with his parents (a distinguished-looking man and a woman with a kind smile), a photo of a grinning Tadashi next to baby Hiro, snapshots of the Hamada brothers and their roly-poly cat, as well as pictures of Tadashi with his Aunt Cass, working in the family cafe...

There were pictures of Tadashi with his instructors and professors, and pictures of him next to his inventions, some of which Davey remembered his friend mentioning while said projects were still in their early stages of development. (There were no photos of anything remotely resembling a robotic nurse, though, so Davey wondered sadly if that project had never gotten off the ground, or if Tadashi simply hadn't had enough time to see it through to completion).

There were photos of friends from years past, and photos of more recent friends (Fred included). There were even two photos of science camp, one with the boys of Kepler 4B, and another one of just Tadashi and Davey their second year of camp when they'd been only eleven years old. Tadashi had been sporting braces at the time (complete with bands in his favorite mint green color), and Davey still hadn't grown into his ears, so it wasn't the most flattering photo, but it brought back a rush of memories laden with their own kind of bittersweetness.

All too soon, the slideshow ended, and, after a few concluding words, it was time for the final tribute.

When his row was dismissed, Davey joined the line of people filing forward. Soft music played in the background, and he could hear the sounds of people greeting each other in low voices or murmuring their condolences to the family. He caught sight of Hiro and his Aunt Cass up at the front of the auditorium, standing off to the side, the former silent and still with his eyes downcast, and the latter tearfully embracing those who came forward to offer their words of comfort.

All too soon, Davey came to the front of the line.

There, surrounded by flower arrangements, was a photograph of Tadashi that must have been taken shortly before his death, for he looked exactly as Davey remembered him - happy, content, and full of life - and though the circumstances surrounding his death were unspeakably tragic and the pain of the loss was heavy, Davey found himself grateful in that moment that he could honor the time that his friend had spent on earth - time that, while short, had not been wasted.

_Goodbye, Tadashi...you were the best friend a science nerd could ask for. _

There was so much more that Davey wanted to say...but the words wouldn't come, not even in his mind.

He had spent the past week shedding more tears than he could remember crying in his entire lifetime...but strangely enough, standing there in front of Tadashi's picture, surrounded by the scent of flowers and a sea of grieving friends and family, he found that he had no more tears left to shed.

* * *

Rain drummed on the windows of the Lucky Cat Cafe, and the growl of thunder sounded in the distance. Davey took a sip of his coffee as he watched the dreary gray clouds empty their watery burdens upon the rooftops of San Fransokyo from his seat at one of the upper story's bay windows.

After the memorial service, there had been a private burial attended only by Tadashi's family and close friends, but out of town guests had been invited to a casual reception at the Lucky Cat Cafe, so Davey had headed there, joining the small group of people on the second floor of the building where Cass and Hiro had their residence.

It was a bit awkward at first; he didn't really know any of the visitors milling about the room or clustered in small groups, and this wasn't the kind of event where it felt right to just sidle up to someone and start a casual conversation, so instead he'd gratefully accepted the cup of coffee and plate of pastries offered to him, then found himself a seat by the window where he could place his carry-on bag out of the way and simply observe and think.

It was hard to fathom the truth that Tadashi was gone.

_People process grief in waves, David,_ Davey's mom had cautioned him the night before he'd headed to California. _Don't hold on to expectations of how you should act at any particular point of the process. These kinds of things take time. Give yourself as long as you need to grieve and to feel._

He hadn't had much to say to her in response at the time, but he was thankful now that she'd shared those words of wisdom. It hadn't felt _right_ not to cry or show any emotion at Tadashi's memorial service, but instead of the deluge of sadness that had nearly overwhelmed Davey the week before, he'd only felt a sobering sense of emptiness and loss. For whatever reason - maybe it was the slideshow - his memory of the times he'd shared with Tadashi had been jogged, and details that had formerly been blurred by the passage of time were now being thrown into sharp relief. He could remember things he hadn't even realized were impactful at the time: how quickly Tadashi could assess and respond to challenges, whether it was solving a particularly perplexing clue for the camp scavenger hunt, or figuring out how to sit ten boys around a table only set for six. (His solutions were always creative and out of the box, too, something Davey - more methodical in his problem solving approach - had been wary of at first, but had eventually come to appreciate). Tadashi had also been unflappably good-natured, making friends with everyone who crossed his path (even the most prickly of campers), and he had a relaxed but attentive way of listening that immediately set people at ease. Davey himself had been on the receiving end of that affability many times, and it was probably one of the things he'd miss most about Tadashi, because that kind of genuine interest wasn't something you came across every day in a person.

These and several more memories unfurled in Davey's mind one by one. Why his subconscious had suddenly determined that it was necessary for him to recall these things at this particular time, he had no clue. But snippets of memories and stories continued to surface, and Davey let them come as he sat there at the window, drinking his coffee and watching the raindrops slide diagonally down the window panes.

Maybe this, too, was part of the grieving process.

He was drawn out of his musing by the sudden sound of shuffling as people got to their feet, and he realized that Hiro and Cass and some of Tadashi's close friends had arrived. People immediately hurried over to greet them, and he sat down again, not wanting to add to the crush at the door.

His phone buzzed in his pocket, and Davey pulled it out to see that it was a notification from the airline he'd be flying with that evening for his red-eye back to New York.

_Uh oh. That can't be good._

Quickly opening up the message, Davey scanned its contents, his mind beginning to race as he read the news that his flight had been delayed until the following morning due to inclement weather.

_Well...it could be worse,_ he thought, trying his best to be positive. He hadn't planned on spending the night at the airport and knew that he likely wouldn't sleep a wink, but at least he'd still be able to make it back in time for his 3:15 p.m. class at Millburn - though it was questionable whether or not he'd actually be awake enough to focus on any of the lecture at that point.

Sending a quick text to Jack to apprise him of the situation, Davey was about to stick his phone back in his pocket when he felt a hand suddenly clap him on the shoulder.

"Hey, it's my man Davey-Dave, all the way from The Big Apple!"

Davey mustered up a half-grin. "Hey, Fred. It's good to see you." He shook hands with the long-haired boy. "Thanks for all the information about the service. I'm glad I was able to attend."

"Yeah, sure thing, Davey-Dave." Fred's usually upbeat demeanor was significantly dampened, but the vestiges of the eccentric, enthusiastic boy that Davey remembered from their science camp days were still plainly visible, despite the passage of time and the current circumstances.

"You oughta come say hello to Aunt Cass," Fred suggested. "It'll mean a lot to her to know that you came out from New York."

"I wouldn't want to bother her," Davey hesitated. "She looks pretty preoccupied right now, and you've all just come from the burial, so maybe it would be better to give everyone some time to breathe." He _did_ want to briefly greet Tadashi's family and express his condolences since he hadn't gotten a chance to at the memorial service with so many people vying for both Cass and Hiro's attention, but he didn't want to force his way into another conversation, especially not when the family had just returned home.

"You won't be bothering her, Davey-Dave!" Fred insisted, breaking into Davey's doubts. "_Carpe diem_, you know? That's French for 'There's always room for one more!'"

"I'm pretty sure that's not - " Davey began, but before he could finish, Fred pulled him out of his seat and over to where Cass was standing, surrounded by several of Tadashi's friends. Hiro, Davey noted, was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey guys, this is Davey," Fred announced. "He's Tadashi's friend from science camp."

"How sweet of you to come all the way from New York," Cass smiled, and Davey could tell that she was trying hard to put on a brave face. "My nephew always enjoyed his meetups with you whenever he was in Manhattan."

"I'm glad I could make it," Davey said sincerely. "And I enjoyed my lunches with Tadashi, too. I'll miss them. A lot."

To his surprise, the woman impulsively pulled him into a hug. "Sorry," she sniffled as she quickly released him and drew back, wiping her eyes a bit. "It's just so moving to see how many people loved him. It feels like you're all family." She gave Davey a teary smile.

"Davey-Dave, these are some of Tadashi's friends from SFIT," Fred added, sweeping his arm around the rest of the group. "To your right's GoGo, next to her's Honey Lemon, and this big fellow next to me is Wasabi. Guys, this is Davey, the only boy at science camp who hung up his shirts in the closet!"

GoGo looked disinterested, and Honey Lemon only smiled politely, but Wasabi nodded in approval. "I like you already," he pronounced. "There's a place for everything, everything in its place."

"If you think _that's_ cool, you should hear about my - "

"Yeah, I'm _pretty sure_ we've heard that story already," GoGo cut Fred off abruptly. "Why don't you let Hanger Boy do the talking?"

Davey was caught off guard by the curt suggestion, and didn't know what to say, but thankfully Honey Lemon seemed to notice his discomfiture.

"Did you just fly out for the day, Davey?" she asked helpfully.

"That was the plan," he answered. "I was supposed to head back to New York on a 9:30 flight this evening, but I just found out that the departure time got delayed because of the rain, so technically I won't be leaving until early tomorrow morning."

"Do you have accommodations worked out?" Cass broke in.

"I was planning to just head to the airport a little early," Davey hedged, already beginning to get a sense of where her line of inquiry was going.

"You won't get any sleep there," she objected.

He shrugged, trying his best to affect nonchalance. "That's all right." The last thing he wanted to do was burden her with the logistics of his return trip. "I've actually got a lot of studying to do, so I'm sure the time will pass quickly, and I can always sleep on the plane."

Just as he suspected, the woman shook her head. "No friend of Tadashi's is going to spend the night at the airport," she insisted, the firmness in her voice brooking no opposition. "You'll stay here with Hiro and me instead."


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer**: This is a non-commercial work of fanfiction. Anything recognizable from _Newsies_ or _Big Hero 6_ belongs to Disney and not to me.

* * *

**CHAPTER 4**

Hiro wasn't thrilled with the idea of his brother's "nerd friend from New York" staying overnight.

Davey, seated on the couch just downstairs, could hear the younger boy arguing vehemently with Cass in the attic above, despite the fact that both of them were clearly trying to keep their voices down. He felt guilty for imposing, and was tempted to walk halfway up the steps and quickly offer to head to the airport right then and there, but it felt too intrusive to venture (even partway), into an area of the house that he hadn't been invited to, so he stayed where he was, awkwardly scrolling through his phone and trying not to listen as the dispute over his sleeping arrangements continued, out of sight but not out of earshot.

Suddenly, he felt something soft and furry brush against his leg and looked down to see the rotund cat he'd seen in the slideshow photos staring up at him.

"Oh. Is this your couch?" Davey asked, tucking his phone away and scooting over a little so that there was space on one side of the sofa. It must have been the right move, for the cat jumped up beside him (surprisingly agile despite its size) and regarded Davey intently for another moment before it began sniffing curiously at his shirtsleeve. This examination lasted for all of a minute before the furball apparently decided that Davey had passed muster, for it drew closer, butting its head softly against his arm before unceremoniously sprawling out, half on the couch and half in his lap.

Davey tentatively began to rub the cat under the chin, wondering if it would respond the same way his neighbors' cats back home did. Fish and Amiro liked being scratched behind the ears and stroked under the chin, so maybe this new feline friend would like it, too.

The sound of the voices upstairs faded to a dull murmur as Hiro and Cass continued their argument, but now there was another sound, too - the rumbling purr of a contented cat. It made Davey feel a little better.

"Fine!" came Hiro's sudden, terse whisper from the loft above. "But he's not sleeping in 'Dashi's bed!" There was the sound of something - a piece of furniture, maybe - scraping across the floor, and a few more murmured words from Cass, and then the woman herself appeared, making her way down the stairs and giving Davey a slightly-embarrassed smile, no doubt suspecting that he'd overheard Hiro's blunt remark.

"I see you and Mochi have made friends," she said, the lightheartedness in her voice clearly forced. "He's loving the attention."

"I don't get to interact with pets much at school, so it's nice for me, too," Davey replied, obligingly scratching Mochi behind the ears when the cat nuzzled against his hand.

"You're not allergic, are you?"

"No, fortunately."

"Well, that's a relief!" Cass hesitated a moment before asking a little abruptly, "You don't mind sleeping on the couch tonight...do you?"

"Of course not," Davey assured her. "This is way better than those airport chairs."

"What time do you need to leave for your flight?" Cass walked over to the closet and began pulling out blankets and pillows.

"I should probably get to the airport by 5 o'clock," Davey answered, quickly doing the math in his head. "But I wouldn't want to disturb you and Hiro, so I'll just slip out, if that's all right with you."

The woman shook her head. "You're not leaving without breakfast. I'll be up early to prepare the Cafe for opening, anyway."

"Okay...if you're sure," Davey acquiesced. The hospitality made him uneasy, for he was acutely aware that this was a time when the tiny, grieving family should be resting in private, not occupying themselves with the concerns of an unexpected guest, but if Tadashi's aunt was going to insist on being generous, he'd best accept her offer so as not to burden her further with his remonstrations.

Cass walked over and set a pair of blankets and some pillows down on the sofa next to Davey. "The bathroom is that second door on the right," she said. "You're welcome to watch TV or do whatever you'd like to wind down. Mochi usually sleeps in Hiro's bed, but sometimes he'll come prowling around at night, so don't be surprised if you wake up to a visitor."

"Thank you," Davey nodded. "I'll be prepared - and I appreciate it."

Cass gave him a weary smile, then took her leave, retreating to her own bedroom off of the landing. There was no sound from the attic above, so Davey wondered if Hiro had gone to bed too.

He washed up and got ready to turn in, trying to make as little noise as possible and settling himself on the couch (Mochi, true to Cass' prediction, had disappeared, probably retiring to his usual place of repose).

Davey was tired - he could feel it in his body and in his heart - but for whatever reason, he didn't feel ready to sleep, yet. There was still too much to process.

But where to even begin…?

He lay there for the better part of an hour, listening to the sound of the rain still beating on the windows, thinking about the different things he'd seen, heard, and felt that day, and letting his mind sift and settle the emotions still stirring inside.

Eventually, his eyelids began to feel heavy, and he slowly drifted off towards sleep...

* * *

He hadn't dozed off for long when the sound of quiet footsteps on the stairs woke him from his near-slumber. Rolling over slightly and blinking the sleep from his eyes, Davey pushed himself up on his elbow, expecting to see Mochi coming down the stairs.

But instead it was Hiro standing there, clad in a dark hoodie and jeans. He had something in his hand that Davey couldn't make out in the dark lighting (and the younger boy quickly hid it behind his back), but it was enough of a glance for Davey to know that something was up.

"Hey, Hiro," he said, sitting up all the way.

The boy gave him a guarded look. "Hey," he answered shortly.

"You look like you're going somewhere."

"Going somewhere?" Hiro echoed, his voice rising a notch as he attempted to look casual. "Hah, that's funny. Where would I be going...this late at night?"

_A bot fight, maybe?_ Davey thought wryly, remembering Tadashi's lament over his younger brother's nighttime activities. But he chose not to disclose the conjecture aloud. If Hiro _was_, in fact, attempting to sneak out, calling him on it or imploring him to stay likely wouldn't do any good - the younger boy didn't know Davey at all and would have no reason to listen to him, and though perhaps Davey could still prevent the truancy if he woke up Cass, he really didn't want to do that.

But if he could figure out a way to get Hiro to stay home of his own volition…

"What have you got there?" Davey asked, trying to buy himself some time. He had a pretty good idea of what it was, but if the younger Hamada was anything like his brother, he'd have a lot to say when it came to his own inventions, so maybe if Davey could get him talking, he could get him to stay long enough to give up the notion of sneaking out that night.

"It's a robot," Hiro said, still clearly suspicious but unable to resist adding proudly, "I built it myself."

"Do you have your own workshop?"

"Yeah, in the garage downstairs. My brother and I - " Hiro stopped abruptly, and the look that flickered across his face made a new kind of grief well up in Davey's heart.

An uncomfortable silence descended. Davey could see that Hiro was struggling to master his emotions, and that the struggle was quickly frustrating him. If Davey himself was having such a difficult time coming to terms with Tadashi's death and trying to wrap his mind around how he felt, how much harder must it be for Hiro?

After a moment, the younger boy's features lost their grief-stricken look and hardened into an impenetrable expression.

He started for the stairs.

"If anyone asks, you didn't see me, and for all you know, I'm still upstairs snoring away, got it?" he ordered, not bothering looking at Davey as he passed by.

"I'm not going to lie to your aunt, Hiro."

"Oh, that's right." Hiro gave a harsh little laugh, stopping in his tracks and turning slightly over his shoulder. "I forgot. You're _Tadashi's_ friend. You're probably a goody-two-shoes - _just like him_."

The words were bitter, but there was a fragility underneath them, too.

Davey wracked his brain for a response. _Come on, say something! _he told himself. _He's hurting - find a way to help!_

"Following the rules was something Tadashi and I did have in common," he conceded aloud, "...but there was one time at science camp where he - and the rest of our cabin - did something that was probably against camp policy, and definitely against the law."

He wasn't sure what instinct had driven him to impulsively disclose that information - it seemed inappropriate and irreverent to be telling a story, but Hiro - who was likely only steps away from sneaking out to a bot fight - didn't seem to be in a place where he'd react well to any reasonable suggestions that what he was doing wasn't helpful and, perhaps more pointedly, wasn't what Tadashi would have wanted.

_People process grief differently, _Davey thought, remembering his mother's words of exhortation. _You need to make space for that and allow yourself time to heal. _He needed to apply those words to Hiro, now, to offer space and comfort to the hurting younger boy without judgement. It was hard to set aside the older brother part of him that naturally wanted to admonish and advise, but a near-stranger trying to play the role of big brother was the last thing Hiro needed at the moment.

_Look for a new angle_, Davey thought, remembering the phrase Tadashi was fond of using.

Maybe that's what this story was - a new angle.

"We never told any of the counselors at camp about what happened," Davey said, keeping his voice casual as though he was only reminiscing for his own benefit. "We knew we'd be in big trouble if they found out, so we all made a pact to keep things secret, and no one ever suspected a thing - probably in part because your brother was in on it. He had a reputation for being a model camper and the friendliest kid around - all of the counselors wanted him in their cabin, and all of the campers wanted to be like him."

"Sure they did," Hiro scoffed. "All of you were nerds, and my brother was the biggest nerd of all." The words were derisive, but Davey noticed that he turned slightly away from the stairs.

"So what happened?" Hiro asked abruptly. "How'd my rule-following big brother end up going rogue?"

Davey smiled a little, trying not to look too pleased as the younger boy drew closer and perched on the opposite arm of the couch, his face aloof but his body language clearly conveying that he was eager to hear the rest of the story.

"It all started the day of the camp-wide scavenger hunt," he began. "The scavenger hunt was a really big science camp tradition. All of the cabins competed against each other to see who could finish first, and the cabin that won got perks like an all-you-can-eat ice cream party, getting excused from one day of camp clean up, and bragging rights, of course. Our group had won the last two years in a row, so we were going for a three-peat. We found most of the items on the list quickly enough, but then we got to the final part of the assignment where there was an 'open ended' item, something that could be worth up to ten points instead of one, depending on how creative we were with what we chose.

"The prompt was to find something white. Most of the guys suggested things like rocks or dandelions or a bottle of glue from the crafts room, but Fred, who was also in our cabin, had other ideas. He pointed out that there was no way we would get the full ten points possible if we chose any of those items, especially since it was likely some other team would come up with the same answer. He also said he had an alternate idea that would definitely earn us a full score and would make us the shoe-in for the win."

"That doesn't sound concerning at all," Hiro snarked under his breath.

"In hindsight, going along with it wasn't the brightest decision," Davey agreed. "But we were kids, and we had our reputation to uphold. Fred took his time trying to amp up our curiosity, but eventually we reminded him that we were on a time crunch, and he finally revealed what his idea was.

"It turns out that Fred had arrived at camp in his family's private helicopter - not by car or bus like the rest of us. The landing area had been near the back of camp, in a clearing close to the border of the property, and Fred had noticed as they arrived that there had been an animal pen on the opposite side of the fence - an animal pen that held, among other livestock, a wooly - and more importantly _white_ \- llama."

"You can probably guess how things unfolded from there," Davey continued. "The back of the campgrounds were only sectioned off by a chain-link fence, so it wasn't hard to locate the pen where the llama was kept once we got there. One of the boys picked the lock, and after a few false starts, we managed to lure the llama out -

"Again, I find it a little hard to believe that _no one_ had any concerns about this," Hiro interrupted.

"Well...that wasn't exactly true. I distinctly remember pointing out that we were going to get in trouble even if we were only 'borrowing' the llama since we were blatantly ignoring the 'No Trespassing' sign posted on the fence, and Tadashi brought up the fact that we had no way of making sure it followed us back to camp since it wasn't wearing a halter, but the two of us were in the minority, and Fred can be persuasive if he wants to be, so we got voted down pretty quickly.

"Anyway, as soon as the llama was free of its pen, it started running. We hurried after it, yelling for it to stop, but it wouldn't, and it was a good two feet taller and much stronger than any of us, so we were a little intimidated to approach it, even when it slowed to a trot. We followed it warily for a good quarter of a mile at least, further and further away from camp, before finally it got bored of running and stopped to graze on a patch of grass. Then the thought came that maybe if we could find something it liked to eat, we could lure it back into its pen.

"We tried everything we could get our hands on: clover, dandelions, lichen, rye grass...eventually, one of the boys pulled out an apple from his backpack, and _that _caught the llama's attention. Using the apple as bait, we slowly drew it back to its pen and shut the gate behind it, replacing the lock and counting ourselves lucky that the consequences of our momentary lapse in judgement hadn't been worse. It was only then that we looked around and realized that Fred was missing.

"We retraced our steps, calling out his name, and eventually heard him yelling back from a gully that ran along the edge of the camp's property and divided it from the undeveloped land on the other side. Apparently in the chaos of chasing the llama, Fred had gotten a little too close to the edge and had ended up sliding down the steep slope to the bottom where he'd injured his leg in the tumble.

"The floor of the gully was a good fifteen to twenty feet below. Thankfully, there was no water in it, but the dry terrain meant that it was too slippery to attempt a rescue without the risk of someone else sliding down and getting stuck as well.

"Of course, at that point, some of us should have gone for help while the others stayed with Fred, but we weren't thinking clearly. We were a bunch of thirteen-year-old kids at the outskirts of camp, far from any immediate help, and one of our friends was down at the bottom of a deep ditch. Mass panic would have probably descended if Tadashi hadn't taken charge. He convinced us to form a human chain to reach down into the ravine and help Fred out. I'm pretty sure if it had been anyone else we would have shot down the idea and left Fred to his fate, but Tadashi had a way of getting people to see the potential in a situation instead of the pitfalls."

Davey shook his head, smiling a little at the memory. "To this day, I'm not sure how we managed to pull it off, or how Fred was able to limp his way to the top of the ravine, but somehow it worked, and no one else got hurt. Your brother stepped in and saved the day. He figured out a way around the problem - found a way to make something that seemed unreachable just within reach."

Hiro cracked a hesitant half-grin. "Yeah...that sounds like him." He lapsed into silence for a moment, then slid down onto the opposite end of the sofa before abruptly asking, "You, uh, got any other stories?"

The invitation - request - caught Davey by surprise. In the moment, he'd simply been relieved that his slightly over-detailed recounting of the llama snafu had been tolerated. He certainly hadn't expected to be asked for more...but then the thought crossed his mind that maybe Hiro, despite his seeming aloofness, actually _did_ want to hear about his brother as much as he possibly could. Not platitudes or condolences about his death...but stories about his life.

So Davey did his best to oblige.

He talked about the time Tadashi volunteered to go with him on the ropes course because he knew that Davey was afraid of heights and could use a friend.

He recounted how Tadashi came up with creative ways to make the unvarying (and occasionally near-unpalatable) camp food more bearable - hiding mushy peas in his mashed potatoes or smothering "mystery meat" with ketchup or swirling Cinnamon Toast Crunch into his soft-serve ice cream.

He described the ongoing competition between Tadashi and Jim, another camper with a particularly innovative mind, and how the two boys would good-naturedly try to outdo each other in the mechanics lab, Tadashi developing rudimentary robots from whatever supplies he could get his hands on, and Jim generating model airships and flying machines.

He shared how Tadashi was always collaborating, asking questions, exclaiming in excitement over someone else's invention, listening sympathetically to another camper's frustrations over yet another failed experiment, offering to help whenever he could…

Thankfully, the recollections came easily, as they'd surfaced in Davey's mind only hours prior as he'd been sitting alone at the window after the memorial service. He'd wondered at the time why the flood of memories had suddenly sprung to mind, but now he was grateful for the providential timing.

He told Hiro about the time he'd gotten lost in the woods for nearly twenty-four hours along with Tadashi and Fred because they'd meant to go fishing and Fred had insisted that he knew the way to the lake (something that turned out to only be half true).

He mentioned some of Tadashi's mannerisms, too - how he'd sneak the inventions he was working on into the cabin and tinker with them at night by flashlight long after lights-out had been called, how he was (surprisingly) one of the most enthusiastic participants at campfire sing-alongs, how he'd saved his trademark San Fransokyo Ninjas cap more than once from annihilation (the first time by a chemical reaction gone haywire, and the second by a rogue black bear)...

Davey told story after story until his voice began to get a little hoarse and Hiro's eyes began to droop just slightly. Sensing that the younger boy was fading, Davey concluded with a final remembrance, that of Tadashi giving the closing farewell at their final year of science camp.

"It was a big honor to be asked to address the campers at the end of the week," Davey explained. "The counselors would choose the speaker based on experience, maturity, and innovative creativity, and I don't think a single person was surprised when your brother was selected."

"What did he talk about?" Hiro asked curiously.

Davey gave him a small smile. "He talked about you. He talked about how he had this genius little brother at home who was going to do great things with his life, and how he couldn't wait to see how much better the world was going to be once you found your place in it. And he encouraged us to keep inventing and trying and dreaming too, because he believed that every single one of us had something we could offer to the world that the world truly needed. It was a different kind of speech - most of the previous years' speakers talked about their own future plans or the things they'd learned and accomplished at camp, but your brother hardly mentioned his own achievements."

Davey found himself getting a little choked up. "Tadashi was...special in that way," he continued. "The kind of person who knew what he was capable of, but didn't have to talk himself up to prove it. He was human - he got discouraged and frustrated and could be a little stubborn sometimes - but in his heart he was _so sure_ of what his life was about and what he was meant to do. He was resolute and persistent and grounded, and that gave the rest of us grounding, too." Tears suddenly sprang to his eyes as he added, "Maybe that's why it feels so…"

"...it feels so unstable, now that he's gone," Hiro finished quietly, his own voice wavering a little.

"Yeah." Davey swiped at his eyes. "It does."

They sat in silence for a moment.

Davey could hear Hiro sniffling at the other end of the couch, and it was almost like he was suddenly back at science camp on that one day, years ago, when he'd been sitting next to a crying Tadashi, offering tissues and a granola bar and trying to comfort the other boy as best as he could, even though deep down inside he wasn't sure if anything could really make it better.

It was no easier to answer that question now; the mystery and finality of death were things too deep for words when the pain was so raw and the grieving had only just begun...but Davey could silently offer his presence, whatever that was worth, and his tears, too - for as much they embarrassed him, perhaps in giving them release, Hiro would know that it was okay for him to cry, too.

The minutes slowly ticked by as they sat there on the sofa, each lost in his own thoughts. The rain continued drumming against the windows, almost soothing in its rhythmic pattern, and at one point Mochi plodded down from Hiro's bedroom and hopped onto the couch between Hiro and Davey, his fuzzy body warm and soft and comforting…

Davey wasn't sure how long they sat there, but eventually he looked over and noticed that Hiro had nodded off, his head lolling against the arm of the sofa and his breathing slow and even. It made the ache in Davey's heart lessen just a little, and he quietly settled down himself, careful not to wake the younger boy as he, too, closed his eyes...

* * *

All too soon, he was once again startled out of his near-slumber, this time by the sound of his phone alarm. Quickly silencing the noise, Davey looked over to see that Hiro hadn't stirred; the younger boy was still curled up at the other end of the couch, snoring softly, his robot clutched in his hand. In the dim lighting, he looked even younger than his fourteen years of age, and this time Davey couldn't quell his older brother instinct as he reached over to carefully cover Hiro with a blanket.

It was still dark outside, but the rain had tapered down to a drizzle, so hopefully there wouldn't be any more delays where the flight out of San Fransokyo was concerned. Quietly, Davey washed up and got dressed, packing his belongings into his carry-on before carefully tidying up the landing as best as he could. Then he set his bag on his shoulder and, after one last glance in Hiro's direction, stole silently down the stairs.

Cass was already busy in the cafe, and the tantalizing scent of something baking in the oven that smelled of cinnamon and sugar made Davey's stomach growl.

"Good morning," the woman greeted him, setting a cup of coffee and a large plate of pastries down on the counter. "I'm not sure if you're a purist when it comes to coffee, but there's cream and sugar in the caddy on your left if you'd like."

"Thank you," Davey answered, taking a seat. The smell of the coffee was already beginning to clear his head a little, and he took an appreciative sip of the steaming liquid.

"Those pastries are for you, too," Cass added.

"Oh - they're...all for me?" Davey repeated, giving the mountain of sweets an anxious glance. "They look delicious of course," he added quickly, not wanting to offend her, "I'm just not sure that I'll be able to finish all of them in time before I have to leave..."

"Whatever you don't eat you can take with you," Cass suggested, setting a paper bag down next to the plate. "You've got a long day ahead."

_She's definitely Tadashi's aunt_, Davey thought as he thanked her. His friend, without fail, always ordered way too much food and then somehow coerced Davey into helping him eat it. Cass' generous (if pointed) offering of sweets wasn't really much different.

It was bittersweet to notice the similarity.

The coffee turned out to be strong, just the way Davey liked it, and the cinnamon roll (which he selected out of the many options available to him) was warm and delicious, so he found himself much more alert than he'd expected after an exhausting previous day followed by a night of little sleep. Tadashi had always bragged about his aunt's culinary skills, and after sampling even a small bit of her fare, Davey could see why - everything was excellent.

He chatted a bit with Cass as she continued her business preparations for the day. She was clearly worn out from yesterday's events, but seemed to be in her element amongst the implements and edibles of the Lucky Cat, and Davey sensed that she was the kind of person who coped with her grief by focusing on the work in front of her. It was something that he could certainly understand and relate to...but he hoped that she had someone in her life who could be a support to her in those quiet moments where the work came to a standstill and grief crept in.

The next half hour passed by quickly, and soon it was time to head out. Davey had already arranged for a taxi to take him to the airport, and he saw the cab pull up to the curb outside of the cafe just as he finished the last of his coffee and the remaining bites of his cinnamon roll. Quickly bussing his dishes and thanking Cass once again, he shouldered his carry-on bag and, with one last farewell (and one last surprise hug from Tadashi's aunt, who also made sure he didn't leave without the rest of the pastries), quickly exited the cafe, ducking his head a little as the rain drizzled down from the clouds above, leaving a mist on his coat and his carry-on.

"San Fransokyo International Airport?" the taxi driver asked. Davey nodded, and the man unlocked the back door before hurrying around to the driver's side as Davey settled his coffee into a cupholder and situated his carry-on bag and the pastries from Cass on the back seat.

Just before he got into the car himself, something made him look up to the second floor of the Cafe, and to his surprise, he saw Hiro standing there at the window, looking down at him. Davey wasn't sure if the younger boy had risen on his own, or if Cass had woken him up, but he was thankful to have a chance to say goodbye, even if it was only briefly and from a distance.

Raising his hand in farewell, Davey gave Hiro a sober half-smile, and to his surprise, Hiro returned the gesture, though his face remained impassive. He had looked so young and vulnerable only moments ago when he'd been curled up asleep on the couch, but now at the window he looked somehow older, taller, and more thoughtful…

He looked, in fact, a lot like Tadashi.

It was going to be a difficult road ahead for Hiro - there was no way to shortcut or shortchange grief. But the younger boy had a lot going for him. And Davey had the feeling that Hiro would find his footing and would make it, somehow. More than make it.

It was only a matter of time.

"Hey, mister - you ready to go?" came the voice of the taxi driver.

"Oh - yeah, sorry," Davey set his hand on the door, pulling it open wider. Before he got inside, he took one last look up to the second story window of the Lucky Cat Cafe...and saw that Hiro had already disappeared.

Davey ducked into the taxi, then reached out and closed the door against the lightly-falling rain.

* * *

**A/N:** One more chapter to wrap this up, friends! Thanks for reading - please let me know what you thought of this installment.

**AetherlightGirl**: I'm so glad to hear you're doing well. And the next/last chapter will be a little happier, so I hope you'll enjoy it and there won't be so many tears (or at least that they'll be happy tears ;)). Thank you so much for the review!


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